11of22Scends II
The beloved Emeryville soul food spot, which came under new ownership of the Oakland Raiders' Marshawn Lynch and underwent a name change, found new life in San Leandro when it opened in mid-March.Photo: Scend's Facebook

12of22Hamburger Mary's
Hamburger Mary's returned to the Castro in March and quickly became one of the hottest restaurants in the neighborhood.Photo: Rosa Furneaux / Special to The Chronicle

It’s a project led by chef Michael Pawlik, who for 12 years ran the kitchen of nearby Frascati. He’s joined in the venture by co-owner (and girlfriend) Amanda Banks Barker.

Abrazo’s post-Christmas debut was preceded by a week-long soft-open phase where Pawlik ironed out the finer details of the menu. The result is an amalgamation of Spanish flavors, like croquetas and paella de marisco (seafood paella), with Mediterranean influences. Think chicory salads with red bell peppers, cucumber, red onion, cherry tomatoes, egg and red wine vinaigrette.

Although Abrazo is a fresh presence in Russian Hill’s food scene, the building itself at the corner of Hyde and Union streets is familiar to diners in the neighborhood.

For 24 years, it was home to Zarzuela, the beloved Spanish restaurant that closed in November. When Pawlik took the space over in the fall, he said he wanted to keep part of Zarzuela alive in the new business.

“My thought process with the menu is to pay homage to what they built at Zarzuela over those 24 years,” Pawlik said.

Over the last month, Pawlik and his team have made notable changes to the restaurant’s aesthetic. The dining room is now light gray with blueish hues accented by wood beams stained a dark walnut. Pawlik planned to have Abrazo open earlier this month, but permitting complications slowed the process.

Private dining, with seating for up to 20, is available in the back of the restaurant. And a four-seat wine bar was added to the main dining space.

“I feel confident about what we’ve created,” Pawlik said. “Sure, every new opening has hiccups, but I’m proud of what we’ve made.”

Justin Phillips joined the San Francisco Chronicle in November 2016 as a food writer. He previously served as the City, Industry, and Gaming reporter for the American Press in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He extensively covered the growth and transformation of Southwest Louisiana’s multibillion dollar energy sector. Justin also served as a columnist for the American Press where he won a Louisiana-Mississippi Associated Press Media Editors award for his weekly food column. In the past, Justin spent time working in the newsrooms of the Contra Costa Times, the Tri Valley Herald, and the Oakland Tribune. He studied journalism at Louisiana Tech University.